Mike's Master Classes

Solo Guitar Arranging Techniques

Jake Reichbart·
1.0 (1 review)·INTERMEDIATE·Solo Jazz Guitar·3 lessons
$13.95
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Jake Reichbart has established himself as a master solo guitar arranger, drawing equally from jazz and pop standards to create a virtually bottomless reservoir of tunes to accommodate any gig. While equally adept at complex harmony as well as the bebop language (check out his popular diminished harmony lesson on this site), in this 3-part lesson, Mr. Reichbart focuses on three basic techniques he uses on almost any song he arranges and which focus on the most basic stumbling block to playing solo guitar - how to move any arrangement forward rhythmically thereby taking the melody, harmony and bass, turning them into a smoothly flowing arrangement. The three parts of this lesson are:
  1. Bass and melody only - making sure to play the melody as it needs to be played (or an improvised line) while also playing a credible/sufficient bass line to create the foundation for the arrangement. Performing these two lines, each with its own rhythm is at the core of solo guitar arranging.
  2. Chord arpeggiation - once the melody and bass have been established and chord notes added, playing arpegiated chord notes in spaces where there is is no melody, or a long sustained melody note, in order to create an audible rhythmic grid, helping the listener along to hear the rhythm as well as helping the player to keep time.
  3. The famous "backbeat stroke" - a signature sound from Mr. Reichbart, explained in detail.

Course Content

Lessons

  • Part I: Melody and Bass Only662
  • Part II: Chord Arpeggiation737
  • Part III: Backbeat on 2 and 4843

Reviews & Ratings

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Miguel Burgueno
10/20/2020

Very poor class

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About the instructor

Jake Reichbart →
Jake Reichbart won WEMU-FM’s Emily Remler scholarship for best jazz guitarist in 1991. Since then, he has been among the busiest guitarists in the greater Detroit region. As a sideman, he appears on countless recordings and jingles and has performed alongside Motown legends and jazz greats alike, logging over 4,600 live gigs. Reichbart’s passion, though, has always been solo guitar, citing Joe Pass, Tuck Andress and Tommy Emmanuel as his main influences, while creating a unique voice of his own. He can arrange for the guitar nearly any tune imaginable, drawing from any and every musical style. His CDs 16 Songs and Long Ago and Far Away have received nominations for best jazz recording at the Detroit Music Awards and have garnered rave reviews from such prestigious publications as All Music Guide, Just Jazz Guitar, and Cadence, as well as from numerous radio stations across the US and abroad. He has performed for two US presidents, the Michigan Governor's Inaugural Ball three times, and for countless other similar events. His instructional DVDs are distributed by the largest publisher in the world, Hal Leonard Corporation and he was featured on the front cover of the May 2012 issue of Just Jazz Guitar magazine, which included a lengthy interview and a transcription of one of his arrangements. Jake cites his most enjoyable solo work as being the “restaurant guitarist,” creating long-term relationships and enjoying a loyal following. For the past 20 years, he has been performing on Wednesday evenings at Ann Arbor’s most famous restaurant, The Earle.